Proust Was A Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer: I listened to this book on tape and was fascinated by the author's decision to meld the arts and
science together. It was easy to understand and I felt a little more well rounded in the end!
The Trouble with Physics by Lee Smolin: An excellent discussion of what type of researchers are rewarded in our current academic
climate and the types we REALLY need for significant scientific progress to be made in the future!
The Radioactive Boyscout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and
His Homemade Nuclear Reactor by Ken Silverstein: Great read!! I
was fascinated by radioactivity and nuclear reactors as a kid but didn't have the ingenuity at the time to do what this guy
did! Thank goodness.
BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach: I sure like this gal's style. She takes unusual topics and finds the science behind it
and does it quite entertainingly. I also loved her other books, Stiff and Spook about
death and the afterlife respectively.
The Cartoon Guide to Genetics (or Physics or Chemistry, etc) by Larry Gonick and Mark Wheelis:
Well done, Well done! I love these books for a humorous, simplified view of sometimes confusing basics.
I will go back and revisit them on occasion, just for fun, and to remind myself of so much that I easily forget!
The Book of Animal Ignorance by the team that produces QI, a BBC panel game:This
book describes about 100 interesting members of the animal kingdom. I had no idea that I knew so little about so many
animals. Quirky and fascinating and easy to read! This was a perfect gift from my super science friend.
Postcards from the Brain Museum: The Improbable Search for Meaning in the Matter of Famous Minds by Brian Burrell: An interesting history of early scientists' quest to understand
the structure and function of the human brain.
She's Such A Geek! Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Anders. Varied viewpoints of being a woman pursuing science, some quite
amusing. One chapter is not appropriate for middle schoolers....just as a warning to parents!
The Emerging Physics of Consciousness by Jack Tuszynski.
If you REALLY like a challenge, read this book. It is a collection of scientific reviews, essentially, from the scientists
actually doing the research on consciousness using the techniques that are available now. I anticipate as we create
better measurement and viewing systems, more and more will be answered in this realm.
by Rebecca Skloot 